Language help

[franceslievens]

Is there a word for an escalator that doesn't go up? My dictionary calls it a travelator. I like it, but doesn't it sound off for you?

Comments

[simonf.livejournal.com]

It does sound a bit off. I just use the word escalator regardless.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Ah thanks.

[avriisme.livejournal.com]

I think most people would just say 'up escalators' and 'down escalators' if they wanted to show the difference. I know that sounds crude, but I can't think of anything else I've heard people (in England at least) say.

'Travelator' might be technically the right word (personally I don't know if it is or if it isn't), but I don't think anyone would use it because there was a TV show called Gladiators a few years ago, in which contestants would have to compete against the show's 'gladiators' in several events, and finally do an assault course. At the end of the course, they had to run up an escalator (a flat one, without steps) that was travelling downwards, and it was called 'The Travelator' to make it sound all dramatic, etc. So I think anyone English would associate the word 'travelator' with that and probably snigger at you if you said 'travelator' for just a normal escalator in a department store or something, which goes down.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

That's the thing: it neither goes up nor down. It's one of those things that makes you travel faster, like at an airport? I do know that escalators that go down are still escalators! ;-)

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

I know exactly what you mean. I'd never call it an escalator because they for me definitely go up or down. I can't even think of the proper German word - I'd go for Laufband but that doesn't necessarily mean that people can travel on it, it could be any odd conveyor belt, or you'd find it at a gym. It's probably called Personenbeförderungsband or some such silly word monster. That gets only about 9 ghits, but then it's not the word that people would use in everyday language.

In English it might be some sort of (conveyor) belt - like you have a luggage belt at the airport.

Yay! Wikipedia to the rescue: I believe you're looking for this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_sidewalk).

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

I had the same problem you had: I couldn't even think up the correct word in Dutch. We simply call it loopband, and as you state that can be any kind of conveyor belt.

Moving walkway was actualy the word I was looking for. Thank you very much!

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. It was fun. I just love a good wordhunt. (Did you see they also mention travelator though moving walkway seems to be the natural choice for me.)

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Yes I noticed, but the moment I saw moving walkway I knew that was the one.

(And now I'm unintentionaly rephrasing Nick Cave...)

[comava.livejournal.com]

I was going to ask if you mean one of those long flat things at airports for lazy and/or hurried people and then I saw your reply below. So to answer your question, while I've never heard the word before it did bring the right thing to mind.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Well sister_luck seems to have solved the problem for me.